Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet of the present invention comprises a substrate, a peeling layer and a colorant layer, the peeling layer and the colorant layer being disposed on one side of the substrate in this order when viewing from the substrate, wherein an applied amount of the peeling layer is in a range of 1.5 to 5.0 g/m2, an applied amount of the colorant layer is not more than half the applied amount of the peeling layer, the peeling layer has a melt viscosity in a range of 10 to 300 cP at 100° C., and the colorant layer contains at least one thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers(EAA), ionomer, styrene-butadiene rubbers(SBR), and nitrile-butadiene rubbers(NBR) at a proportion in a range of 10 to 60% by weight. The thermal transfer sheet can print an image having a quality appearance with no void and nick and an excellent wear resistance on a receiving sheet having a low smoothness, in particular a rough paper.

Abstract: Description of a thermo-transfer ribbon having a carrier, with a thermo-transfer color (layer) formed on one side of the carrier, and, if applicable, with additional layers, whereby the thermo-transfer color contains in addition to a coloring substance, an amorphous polymer and a wax. The thermo-transfer ribbon is characterized in that the thermo-transfer color contains a polar polyethylene wax as binding agent and an amorphous polymer, which has a mol mass weight mean Mw of more than approximately 10000 and a numerical mol mass mean Mn of less than approximately 6000. It proves itself during high energy level printing of a thermo-printer as scratch- and solvent-resistant, specifically on plastic labels.

Abstract: An ink jet printable coating for holographic paper is presented. The coating utilizes a high dyne primer layer and a secondary layer. The secondary layer includes a plurality of microscopic pores which are preferably 1 to 6 microns in diameter. The pores are sized to allow ink jet ink to penetrate during the printing process. The coating is compatible to both water based and solvent based inks. The pores serve to provide a site to which the ink jet ink can anchor and set, thus preventing the ink from running when initially applied to the surface and speeding the rate of ink drying. Additionally, the secondary layer is porous enough to absorb the ink as it dries. The deeper the secondary layer, the further to ink can penetrate for greater adhesion to the surface and for faster drying.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method comprising the steps of: a) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; b) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element comprising a substrate having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising an inorganic, anionic pigment, an organic, anionic binder and an organic, cationic mordant, and a porous overcoat layer located over the image-receiving layer, the porous overcoat layer comprising an inorganic pigment and an organic, anionic, binder, wherein the refractive index of the inorganic pigment in the overcoat layer is at least 0.05 refractive index units less than the refractive index of the inorganic, anionic pigment in the image-receiving layer; c) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and d) printing on the recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: This invention relates to a transfer material for receiving electrostatic transfer of an image on an image bearing member, comprising a resinous material and having a surface coarseness Rz of 10 &mgr;m or higher on lateral faces, and an image forming method thereto.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising at least about 80% by weight of non-porous polymeric particles in a polymeric binder, the non-porous polymeric particles having a core/shell structure comprising a polymeric core covered with a shell of a water-soluble polymer; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and D) printing on the ink jet recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: A flexible, multilayered transfer tape is described which contains an auxiliary support, a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive and a binder containing a white-pigmented transfer layer having greater adhesion to the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer than to the auxiliary support. The transfer layer, which contains a binder in addition to a white pigment, is present between the auxiliary support and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The transfer tape is characterized in that a non-white pigment is present in finely dispersed form in either or both of a polymer-bonded interlayer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The polymer-bonded interlayer may be situated between the white-pigmented transfer layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer or in the white-pigmented transfer layer itself. Such transfer tapes have significantly improved covering capacity as compared to transfer tapes in which only the white-pigmented transfer layer is tinted.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a printable fusible coating for use on a heat transfer material, wherein the fusible coating contains cyclohexane dimethanol dibenzoate. The present invention is further directed to a printable heat transfer material having a fusible coating thereon, wherein the fusible coating contains cyclohexane dimethanol dibenzoate. The present invention also is directed to a method of making a printable heat transfer material having a fusible coating thereon, wherein the fusible coating contains cyclohexane dimethanol dibenzoate.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element comprising a resin-coated paper support having thereon an ink-retaining layer comprising voided cellulosic fibers in a polymeric binder, the ratio of the voided cellulosic fibers to the polymeric binder being from about 90:10 to about 50:50, the length of the voided cellulosic fibers being from about 10 &mgr;m to about 50 &mgr;m; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and D) printing on the ink jet recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element comprising a substrate having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising a heterocyclic amine polymer, the image-receiving layer having associated therewith a water-soluble first-row transition metal ion salt; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and D) printing on the ink jet recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.

Abstract: A recording sheet for ink jet printing comprising a support having coated onto said support at least one ink receiving layer and a gelatin containing absorption layer, characterized in that the absorption layer is situated between the support and the ink receiving layer and that it comprises a micelle forming compound selected from salts of branched or unbranched alkyl sulfates of formula CnH2n+1OSO3H, wherein n is from 5 to 25; salts of branched or unbranched alkyl phosphates of formula CnH2n+1OPO3H2, wherein n is from 5 to 25; substituted phenols of general formula (I)  wherein n is from 18 to 50; or salts of substituted phenols of general formula (II)  wherein n is from 5 to 55.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink jet recording elements; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and D) printing on the ink jet recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals; wherein the ink jet ink composition comprises from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of a pigment, a carrier, a humectant and a dispersant in a ratio of dispersant:pigment from about 0.

Abstract: The present invention is a thermoformer which produces zero scrap during the heating, forming and cutting of a blister package. In one embodiment, the thermoformer comprises a precut roll having a series of adjacent webs connected by a cut area. Each of the webs are defined by an overall length L, a width W, and a radius R. Each of the cut areas are defined by a cut depth D1, said cut depth D1 being in the range of about 25% to 90% of the width W of the webs. The thermoformer further comprises a heating station adapted to heat each of the webs. The thermoformer further comprises a forming station adapted to form each of the webs. The thermoformer further comprises a cutting station adapted to separate the webs from each other, by making a cut along each of the cut areas connecting the webs.

Abstract: When a temporary adhesive layer for peelably bonding a transfer-receiving material to a thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate film and a heat-fusible ink layer disposed on one side thereof is caused to comprise a specific adhesive, an excellent composite thermal transfer material is provided. In such a composite thermal transfer sheet, the thermal transfer sheet is firmly bonded to the transfer-receiving material so as not to cause wrinkles or deviation, both of these members may easily be peeled from each other so that the ink layer is exactly transferred to the paper in a transfer region and it is not transferred thereto at all in a non-transfer region, whereby the transfer-receiving material is not contaminated. An antistatic treatment provides a composite thermal transfer sheet causing no trouble due to charging at the time of or after printing operation.

Abstract: A non-impact, thermal transfer printing sheet having a base sheet of fibrous paper or synthetic with or without a security device, coated with a composition comprising (1) lactone, spiropyrane coloration, or an iron metallic complexes that reacts with weak an organic acid to produce coloration when the sheet is heated via a thermal head, (2) an activator to accelerate the reaction, (3) absorbent materials to absorb the resulting products of the reaction, and (4) an inorganic phosphorescent ZnS:Cu pigment having a particle size sufficient to produce phosphorescence in a predetermined time and wave-length and a process of making thereof are disclosed. The sheet is capable of being printed using a thermal transfer printing head and providing phosphorescence when activated by ultraviolet light containing wavelengths of between 440 and 640 nm.

Abstract: A receptor medium with a sheet having an embossed imaging surface as one major surface thereof The receptor medium can receive jettable materials, which include inks, adhesives, biological fluids, chemical assay reagents, particulate dispersions, waxes, and combinations thereof. The embossed medium unexpectedly solves such common inkjet printing problems as feathering, banding, and mudcracking in inkjet printing systems by controlling how an inkjet drop contacts and dries on an inkjet receptor medium. Clear lines of demarcation between adjoining colors of a pigmented inkjet image graphic can be obtained, Methods of making and using the inkjet receptor medium are also disclosed.

Abstract: A decoration foil for the decoration of three-dimensional substrate surfaces with heating comprises a carrier film which is a substantially amorphous, unstretched polyester, polyamide or polyamide-copolymer film on which is arranged a decorative layer which is formed by at least one lacquer layer printed thereon, with the formation of a decoration in accurate register relationship.

Abstract: A description is given of a thermo-transfer ribbon having a customary carrier, with a wax-bonded layer of a thermo-transfer color formed on one side of the carrier, and a resin-bonded separation layer located between carrier and wax-bonded layer, characterized in that at least the resin-bonded separation layer A) contains a wax-soluble polymer and the wax-bonded layer B) of the thermo-transfer color contains less than approximately 8% by weight, specifically 0 to approximately 5% by weight, of wax-soluble polymer, whereby the waxes of the wax-bonded layer B) are narrowly cut waxes with melting- and coagulation points positioned in close proximity to each other. The benefits of said thermo-transfer color consist in that there occur no differences in the quality of the print, either with “cold” or “hot” print, and specifically also on uncoated paper with high degree of roughness.

Abstract: An ink jet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink-receptive elements comprising a support having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising a highly branched dendrimer or hyperbranched polymer having a cationic moiety; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition comprising water, a humectant, and a water-soluble anionic dye; and D) printing on the image-receiving layer using the ink jet ink in response to said digital data signals.

Abstract: Improved ink jet paper coatings which impart high optical density images and excellent water resistance to paper and a process for making an improved ink jet recording paper. The coating formulation comprises an inorganic pigment, preferably silica, and an amine modified poly(vinyl alcohol) composition in which the poly(vinyl alcohol) is graft polymerized with an ethylenically unsaturated monomers containing primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary amine functionality.